If you are new to playing card games, then you may be wondering, what is a rake in poker? The term is an important one for any novice player to learn.
You especially need to master poker rake and how it is calculated if you plan on playing Texas Holdem online. The more poker that you play, the more you will have to deal with the rake. Thankfully, the casino is the one in charge of determining the rake every round.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about the rake in poker. I will tell you what the term means, how it is calculated, and how both casinos and players can benefit from this charge.
What Is the Rake in Poker?
First and foremost, what does the term rake mean in poker?
Simply Put:
This phrase refers to the commission that the poker room charges for operating the game. This fee is charged for every hand that is played during the game. The dealer will take a percentage of the final pot of the hand as the rake.
Poker rooms are allowed to set their own rake, so it is important for players to research the card room ahead of time.
Rake vs. Rake-Free Sites
The rake has been something that poker players have had to deal with for decades. However, like many other aspects of the game, the growth of online poker sites has changed how casinos can make money.
Online poker rooms can be conveniently accessed at any time of the day. To encourage members to play more, some poker sites charge a flat monthly fee instead of charging the traditional rake. They also usually charge increased fees on deposits to make up for the lack of rake.
Cash Games vs. Tournaments
One of the biggest reasons for the growth of poker since the turn of the century has been the explosion of poker tournaments. Players have hundreds of options for competing in tournaments both online and at brick-and-mortar poker rooms.
There are many differences between poker tournaments and cash games, including how the rake is charged. For cash games, the casino will simply apply the rake to every hand.
But in tournaments, players are gambling with chips that do not have a real cash value. So, instead of charging the rake for every hand, casinos will charge a flat rake fee upfront. This fee is built into the but-in amount that players have to pay to enter the tournament.
How Is Poker Rake Calculated?
Poker rake is something that almost every player is going to have to deal with at some point.
So, knowing how to calculate this fee is very important.
The formula for finding the rake will depend on the type of rake that the poker room you are playing at is using. Also, the type of poker you are playing can play a factor in your rake calculations.
As I Mentioned Above:
The rake for tournaments is typically built into the buy-in amount. So, you may not even notice that you have paid the rake if you are playing in a tournament.
In cash games, you will need to know the rake percentage that the casino is charging. Then you simply multiply it by the total amount in the pot to determine the rake.
Many poker rooms have a maximum rake charge, which can prevent players from overpaying on big pots.
What Is the “No Flop, No Drop” Rule?
The rake is designed to help poker rooms win money from the poker games that they offer by taking money from the pot. However, it is hard to build up the pot if all of your opponents fold before the flop.
That is why many casinos have a “No Flop, No Drop” rule in place. This prevents the dealer from collecting a rake from the pot in hands that did not reach the flop.
Why Is a Rake in Poker Important?
No one wants to pay extra money when they do not have to. However, paying the rake in poker is an important part of the game.
Replaces the House Edge
From the poker room’s perspective, the rake is one of the only ways to make money from hosting the game. Most casino games have a house edge, which almost guarantees that the casino will win money over time from that game.
However, that is not the case in most poker games. The poker room is represented by the dealer, a person not active in games like Texas Holdem, Omaha Holdem, and many other poker variations. As a result, they do not have a chance to win money from the players in the game.
That is where the poker rake comes in. This fee alows the poker room to cover its overhead costs, such as paying the dealer who is working the game.
Higher Rakes Decrease Your Winning Potential
The other obvious reason that knowing the poker rake is important is that it can limit your earning potential in cash games. You know that you are going to have to pay the rake every time.
Once you know what this charge is, you can take it into your strategy calculations. For instance, let’s say you want to earn at least $100 per hour from low-stakes poker, but the casino charges up to a $5 rake fee per hand.
In this scenario, you may need to win $130 per hour to account for the rake charges you will incur during that hour of play.
Is There a Rake in Online Poker Games?
Poker rake started in land-based casinos, but it is not exclusive to in-person games. Online players need to account for this added commission charge as well. As with games at brick-and-mortar poker rooms, your rake calculations will vary based on the type of poker that you are playing.
Tournament players, for instance, will still pay the rake as part of their initial buy-in charge. In cash games, the rake will be taken out of the pot after the round has ended.
Can Players Benefit From the Rake?
Benefiting from paying the rake may seem counterintuitive. However, this added charge can actually help players.
First and foremost, it helps keep the poker room running. The rake charge allows the poker room to pay for its overhead costs. Without the rake, the poker room would likely be unable to keep its doors open.
Players can also benefit directly from the rake at some poker rooms. Ignition Casino, for example, has a rewards program that offers plenty of benefits for poker players.
To get the most out of Ignition Rewards, you need to earn points, or “miles,” as they are referred to in this program. In Sit & Go and other tournament-style games, your reward points are determined by the buy-in, which includes the rake, and other fees.
For cash games, though, you will earn reward miles from the rake amount directly. You will be given 15 reward points for every $1 of rake collected.
More Poker Terms Every Player Should Know
Learning what the rake is in poker is something that every poker player has to do. There are many other terms that novice players have to learn as well. For instance, novice players need to understand what a poker face is, what blinds are, and know about buy-in amounts.
Poker Face
The term poker face refers to more than a late 2000s pop anthem and a successful Hulu crime drama. It is also a technique that poker players use to make them unreadable to their opponents.
A true poker face is an emotionless expression that players can maintain throughout the hands that they are playing in. By not reacting to the cards in your hand or the community cards, you make it harder for other players to know if you have a good or bad hand.
Big/Small Blinds
Blinds are another important concept for new poker plates to master. These forced bets are a common aspect of many poker games. The big blind is the minimum bet for every player to participate in the hand.
The small blind is half of the big blind and guarantees that the big blind can still win money even if everyone else folds. Knowing the blinds ahead of time can help you plan out your bankroll. Blinds typically increase during the latter stages of tournaments, which helps speed up the action.
Buy-In
The buy-in is another charge that players need to be aware of. It is the fee that players pay in order to participate in poker tournaments.
Because it is a flat fee, paying the buy-in for tournaments is a good alternative to cash games for players with a small bankroll. As I mentioned above, part of the buy-in typically goes directly to the casino as the poker rake. A portion of the buy-in also typically goes into the prize pool for the tournament.
What Do You Think of the Rake in Poker?
Paying the poker rake is something that every player needs to account for. This added charge is crucial for poker rooms that need to cover overhead charges. Check out the blog above to learn more about paying the rake at the top online casinos for poker.
